Look Out, LA and NOLA: Here We Come! | Save the Turtles.
January 11, 2011
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kami Risk at kami.risk@NTAServicesInc.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
Look Out, LA and NOLA: Here We Come!
Save the Turtles.
It’s Better than Watching the Olympics in 3D
Airline Fees Could Take Off in 2011
Top 10 Communication Elements for Today’s Marketing Plan
NTA Staff in Short-term Quarters with Longtime Friends
Last Call for Courier in March
Industry News and Updates
Look Out, LA and NOLA: Here We Come!
NTA and UMA have mapped out an exciting and productive lineup of host cities for our organizations’ soon-to-be combined conventions.
You’ve already marked Dec. 5-9 for NTA Convention ‘11 in Las Vegas (right?), and your 2013 calendar includes Orlando on Jan. 19-23 for the first NTA/UMA joint event, so let’s keep looking down the road: The 2014 Convention will be held Feb. 16-20 in Los Angeles, and the following year, New Orleans will host the event Jan. 17-21, 2015.
These sites are prime locations for Convention, said Lisa Simon, NTA president. "We’re excited about the lineup of exceptional destinations. Not only are they great convention cities but great destinations for tour and motorcoach operators," she said. "Las Vegas, Orlando, LA and New Orleans each have their distinct personalities that will make every experience unique. And each is ready to pull out all the stops for NTA and UMA."
By collaborating with their annual events, UMA and NTA will bring together 2,000 buyers with thousands of supplier and destination partners.
"By combining NTA’s expertise with tour operators and product development, and UMA’s expertise with the motorcoach industry, we will have a great show," said Simon. "Together, we can both bring more business to our members at one event."
This just in: Days after NTA and UMA announced our 2014 and 2015 dates, ABA expressed interest in joining NTA in our strategic mission to work collaboratively across association lines and create one big show. NTA welcomes the opportunity, said NTA Chairman Cathy Greteman.
"While it will take some time to work out the details, we are excited about the opportunities our strategic partnerships continue to open up to NTA members," Greteman said. "We welcome ABA’s desire to be a part of the collaborative stage we’ve set that can only improve our members’ return on investment."
We’re not talking about The Turtles—the ’60s rock group. Our focus is on sea turtles.
Tourism Cares and Travel South USA are teaming up during the 2011 Travel South USA Showcase, Feb. 22-24, 2011, in Atlanta, Georgia, to raise money for the Sea Turtles Project at the Georgia Aquarium. During the Showcase, the organizations will raise funds by selling bracelets and sea turtle plush toys to attending delegates.
The Georgia Aquarium, in conjunction with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, will put the money raised during the Showcase toward sea turtle conservation and rehabilitation. Along the southeastern Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast, sea turtles and their habitats are threatened and endangered. Last year alone, the Georgia Aquarium and Georgia Sea Turtle Center worked together to successfully rescue, rehabilitate and release more than a dozen animals affected by a single severe cold-stun event. Without specialized veterinary care, appropriate facilities and community support, emergencies like this event would go without response.
In conjunction with ongoing efforts to rescue and rehabilitate turtles, both the Georgia Aquarium and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center are committed to educating and inspiring their more than two million combined annual visitors to increase the awareness of sea turtle habitat and wildlife conservation challenges, promote responsibility for ecosystem health and empower individuals to act locally, regionally and globally to protect the environment.
It’s Better than Watching the Olympics in 3D
You may be able to watch the 2012 London Olympics in 3D—if you can afford a new 3D TV and you live in the U.K. But, it’s no secret people want to travel and watch the Games in person, and many more will visit the Olympic sites once the ceremonies are over.
Since it opened to the public in September 2008, the Bird’s Nest National Stadium (site of the Beijing Olympics’ Opening Ceremony) has welcomed more than 4.5 million visitors, and the adjacent Water Cube National Aquatics Centre has had 3.8 million visitors walk through the doors, according to the Beijing Tourism Board.
See the links at the end of this article for more on how tourism has affected Olympic host cities; the results probably won’t surprise you. Cities that host the Olympics see increased tourism during the year of the event and well beyond. London is hosting the Olympics in 2012. Are you prepared for the anticipated tourism boom to the U.K.? You can be. Come to Montage in Aberdeen, Scotland, in April to build business partnerships with U.K. travel professionals.
Timing is everything—the connections you make at Montage can prepare your company for the host—country heat anticipated in the U.K. It’s just one more reason to join us this April.
See how the 1992 Games placed Barcelona on the map (a report). And note that Athens received positive exposure from around the world after the 2004 Olympics (a slideshow).
Airline Fees Could Take Off in 2011
During the first three quarters of 2010, U.S. airlines packed in $2.6 billion in baggage-fee revenue. And according to one industry observer, more fees could arrive soon.
George Hobica, on airfarewatchdog.com, identified several potential fees for future flyers, including charges for "lap children," in-person check-ins, carry-on bags too big to fit under the seat, and booking flights online.
In a story for ABC News, Hobica further discussed his fee forecast, adding the possibility of a luggage distance surcharge.
Top 10 Communication Elements for Today’s Marketing Plan
Like you, we’ve been barraged with lists looking back at 2010 and ahead to 2011. (We even published our own "tops in 2011.") After culling through some of the lists out there, we think one from Ragan.com is particularly share-worthy: a list of elements and vehicles you should use to push out your most powerful marketing tool—content.
Great content keeps your audience coming back for more. But how do you get it out there? Consider these delivery methods, some of which are probably new to you:
- Blogs
- Infographics
- Songs
- Customer stories
- Podcasts
- QR Codes
- E-books
- Curated (aggregated) streams of information
- Statistics
- Video
Here’s the full article. And if you come across a list of top tips for 2011 or, throughout the year, any business article that you find useful, please share it with your fellow members on Facebook.
NTA Staff in Short-term Quarters with Longtime Friends
When 2010 rolled over into 2011, NTA fully transitioned to self-management—right on schedule. We’re in temporary offices until permanent facilities are ready, so you may hear an unfamiliar "hold message" or see an unfamiliar caller I.D. number while you’re on the phone with NTA headquarters.
Don’t be alarmed. Until we move to our permanent offices, we’re sharing a space with SIS, a technology company helping us with our transition. And this is cool: As we commemorate NTA’s 60th anniversary this year, it’s only fitting that we’re reunited with SIS. Years ago, the company helped NTA develop some of our original software applications including TODS (Tour Operator Directory System), the forerunner to our online member profiles.
We’re still here to serve you, and we’re in good company with SIS. So if you do experience any service issues—and we apologize for the inconvenience—please notify us at questions@NTAstaff.com.
Last Call for Courier in March
Space deadline for the March issue of Courier is this Friday, Jan. 14. Don’t miss your chance to participate in this important issue, as it offers plenty of ways to place your company or destination directly in front of experienced tour operators.
The key feature in this issue is accommodations, and the trip planner features will showcase Branson, Africa and the Mediterranean. States highlighted in March include Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.
Be a part of the magazine that our tour operators rated No.1 in the industry!
To reach your account executive call 859.219.3533 or e-mail advertising@NTAServicesInc.com for more information.
The Good …
2010 was a banner year for New York City’s hospitality industry. In 2010, 48.7 million people visited New York City, up 6.8 percent from 2009 and surpassing early projections of 47.5 million. Some 39 million of the visitors were from the U.S. and 9.7 million from abroad-both records.
Also reporting positive news for 2010 is the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Total spending by visitors who came to Hawaii for the first 11 months of 2010 was $10.3 billion, a 16 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
… and the Grumbling
A new room tax imposed on hotel guests in Rome has both guests and hoteliers upset. The tax, ushered in with the new year, ranges from $1.50 to $4.50 per night per guest, depending on the hotel’s classification.
And in Spain, some are grumbling-while others are cheering-about the smoking ban imposed on bars and restaurants in Spain. The new law is similar to ones in Italy, Britain and France.
Click here for the Tuesday archive.